KBS South Korea produces two channels at Paris 2024 IBC

The Korean Broadcasting System has established a significant presence at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with a team of over 70 personnel, including 15 producers and 20 additional staff working remotely from Seoul. The broadcaster has deployed eight reporters and eight ENG crews to cover key sports such as fencing, swimming, and archery, as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Choi Ho Kyong, the outside broadcasting technical team leader, stated that KBS is receiving all signals from OBS via SDI and producing two channels of 1080p50 content at the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) in Paris, which are then converted to 1080p60 for broadcast in Korea. These two over-the-air channels are produced in separate production galleries within the IBC and are transmitted ready for air. A master-control room manages all incoming feeds.

Unlike other rights holders who produce content at home, KBS's decision to produce in Paris reduces the bandwidth required to transmit content back to Korea. Seven fibre channels facilitate the transmission for two terrestrial channels, cable channels, and news distribution.

The eight ENG crews utilise LiveU technology to send signals directly to South Korea. Instead of using a studio within the IBC, KBS has opted to use various iconic locations across Paris as backdrops for their programming. Two hosts are roaming the city to record introductions and other segments.

Commentary for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as for swimming, fencing, and archery, is conducted onsite. Meanwhile, approximately 10 commentary teams based in Seoul provide off-tube coverage for other events.